Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Paris to Venice (Cannes Route)
Depart from Paris just before dinner. Travel in style across ever-changing landscapes before arriving in Venice the following afternoon, conveniently in time for aperitifs. Life on board is an indulgent affair. In the hand-restored 1920s restaurant cars, seasonal cuisine is served. The bar car, complete with pianist, is the place to mingle with sparkling company over effervescent drinks.
Board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and settle into your private cabin, where a selection of pastries with tea and coffee is served. A glass of champagne sets the tone for the adventure to come. Put on something fabulous (you can never be overdressed aboard our legendary train) before taking your seat in one of the restaurant cars and enjoying a sumptuous four-course dinner.
Through the windows, you’ll notice the scenery becoming ever more bucolic as the train courses through Burgundy, reaching Lyon in the evening.
Later, you may wish to join your fellow passengers in Bar Car ‘3674’. Sip a cocktail as our resident pianist plays into the night. Your cabin has been transformed into a cosy boudoir. Sink into sleep, knowing tomorrow you arrive on the French Riviera.
The train reaches Marseille as the sun rises. Enjoy Continental breakfast in your cabin as you absorb the views. The journey towards the Côte d’Azur is lush, embracing verdant hills and countryside as far as Fréjus. From there, you gain stunning vistas of the ocean as the route hugs the Mediterranean coastline, travelling through Cannes to Genoa before heading north up to Milan.
Spend the morning in the bar car, chatting over coffee. Then savour a lavish three-course lunch in one of the restaurant cars. A relaxing afternoon beckons, with high tea served in your cabin as the train crosses the Venetian Lagoon.
Alight at Santa Lucia station for your onward travels.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Welcome aboard the luxury train Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
An icon of art-deco design and an eternal symbol of luxury, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a true classic of luxury train travel. Travel on board this European rail legend and enjoy an unforgettable adventure.
A quintessential icon of luxury train travel, this train has for many decades captured the hearts and imaginations of its lucky travelers. The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is simply the most famous and luxurious luxury train in the world: polished wood finishes, upholstery with the finest fabrics, sumptuous and antique decoration… This wonder of sophisticated travel will make you appreciate several of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe while enjoying an atmosphere of opulence and elegance without equal that will transport you from the first moment aboard the Golden Age of train travel.
Authenticity is one of the protagonists of this luxury train. The Venice Simplon- Orient-Express is made up of several luxurious cabin cars from the 1920s and 1930s, together with 3 restaurant cars that offer you an exquisite culinary experience and invite you to be dazzled by their luxurious finishes: stained glass windows with Lalique crystals from the French Riviera, cutlery and glassware from the finest and most exclusive brands, delicious dishes that will delight your palate. The wagon-bar sparkles with its golden details and offers you to enjoy a glass of fine champagne while the pianist gives that charming touch to the atmosphere with its elegant and happy melodies.
A butler in the most elegant royal blue and gold uniform greets you with a white gloved hand and welcomes you on board with a discreet and sincere smile. Step into your luxurious cabin finished in polished cherry wood and adorned with art-deco accents, relax and enjoy the start of a journey into the golden age of train travel.
What is the history of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express?
The original Orient-Express was inaugurated on October 4, 1883 and characters such as Tolstoy, Lawrence of Arabia, the spy Mata Hari Trotsky, Marlene Dietrich traveled in its luxurious carriages... Many films based on the fabulous Venice Simplon-Orient-Express have even been produced as "The Spy Who Loved Me" in 1963 starring Sean Connery. And more recently, in 2017, inspired by the 1934 Agatha Christie novel, "Murder on the Orient Express" with Penelope Cruz, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kenneth Branagh.
It was 1977 at an auction in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, where the founder of Belmond, Mr. James B Sherwood, bought two vintage train cars.
Sherwood was passionate about luxury and sophisticated travel. He searched everywhere for railway relics and disused wagons in private gardens,** museums and railway stations**. The wagons of famous vintage trains such as Le Train Bleu and the Rome Express deserved a spectacular return to service, but they needed a very high level of craftsmanship and engineering expertise to be restored and adapted to modern standards of quality and safety. Fortunately, he found a group of experienced craftsmen and mechanics who carried out the task of painstakingly restoring the wagons to their former glory from bygone days.
After nearly 5 years of meticulous restoration, the iconic midnight blue wagons were finally operational for 1982, ready to welcome their lucky travelers in incomparable luxury on a journey between Venice and London.
What journeys does the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express propose?
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express covers the route between London and Venice, this route being one of the most famous, as well as the route from Paris to Venice. Feast your eyes on the beautiful landscapes of Europe: lush rolling meadows and majestic mountains, beautiful villages. This impressive journey can be done in either direction or round trip. Delve into local culture with stops in Budapest and Bucharest. Reach the ends of Europe on an authentic adventure of more than six days taking the route from Paris to Istanbul, a city divided between Europe and Asia.
Paris - Berlin is the newest trip in the catalog, an exciting adventure connecting two of the most vibrant cultural centers in Europe.
Venice, Paris, London, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Istanbul ... They are just some of the legendary cities the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express visits.
The Côte d’Azur
The Étoile du Nord
L’Oriental
3674
Single Cabin
The perfect option for total relaxation.
The individual cabins have one bed. During the day, the bed is transformed into a comfortable sofa from where you can admire the beautiful views that this journey offers you.
Thin cotton sheets and goose feather pillows will create a cozy and peaceful setting for a perfect night's rest.
Included in your cabin:
- Day and night configuration
- Sink with hot and cold water
- WC at the ends of each wagon-room
- Towels in luxurious cotton
- Bathrobes and slippers
- Dual voltage sockets
- 2 x 220 volt outlets
Historic Cabin
Take in Europe from the romantic setting it deserves with your own private historic twin cabin.
Banquette seating offers the perfect vantage point to watch the landscape by day, while convertible sleeping berths — with soft, luxurious bedding — transform the cabin into an intimate retreat by night.
Morning breakfast can even be served to your bed, should you desire.
Its comfortable plush sofa turns into an upper bed and a lower one at night.
Both are dressed in soft, luxurious lingerie for optimal rest and each has its own reading light.
Included in your Historic Cabin:
- Day and night configuration
- Sink with hot and cold water
- WC at the ends of each wagon-room
- Towels in luxurious cotton
- Bathrobes and slippers
- Dual voltage sockets
- 2 x 220 volt outlets
Suite
These marvelous suites are inspired by a fusion of the landscape the train travels through and design from the Art Deco period.
Each suite will immerse you in diverse European scenery through glorious colours, patterns and textures. Plush fabrics and furnishings channel famed Art Deco designers, such as Dufrene and Lalique.
These reimagined suites were fully restored by expert craftsmen in France, and complement the existing Grand Suites and Historic Twins that make up the sumptuous on board experience.
Included in your Suite:
- Double bed or twin beds
- Private marble en-suite bathroom with shower, basin and wc
- Towels in luxurious cotton
- Lounge area by day, as your bed converts to seating area
- Complimentary amenities including a kimono and slippers to take home
- Dual voltage sockets
- 2 x 220 volt outlets
Grand Suite
On a train where unparalleled luxury is the standard, the exquisite Grand Suites are the jewel in the crown. Let yourself be carried away by the feeling of opulence and elegance of these large suites where only royalty traveled in the Golden Age of train travel.
Three beautiful suites make up the collection, each named after 3 of the most attractive cities in Europe: Paris, Venice and Istanbul. In honor of the inaugural train route through the heart of continental Europe, the Grand Suites embody the soul of each city and the art-deco indulgence while offering all modern comforts. Spacious sinks and impeccable cabin service complete the experience.
Each Grand Suite has a bedroom with double or twin bed, a living room with space for private dining, and a sofa that can be converted into an additional bed at night. A private bathroom in the suite includes a shower, sink and toilet, plus accessories and luxury products and complimentary bathrobes. 24-hour suite service includes unlimited champagne consumption at no extra charge.
Included in your Grand Suite:
- Day and night configuration
- Private WC and shower
- Complimentary champagne by the glass in your Suite
- WC at the ends of each wagon-room
- Towels in luxurious cotton
- Bathrobes and slippers
- Dual voltage sockets
- 2 x 220 volt outlets
Observatoire Suite
Unfolding across an entire carriage on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, L’Observatoire is a one-of-a-kind space to embrace curiosity, adventure and creativity.
Inspired by astronomical observatories, world acclaimed artist JR has designed a carriage-sized suite that encourages you to gaze up, out, and beyond – harmonizing with stunning craftmanship from both old masters and up-and-coming trailblazers.
Included in your Observatoire Suite:
- Secret tearoom with fireplace and miniature train model
- Ensuite marble bathroom with shower, and free-standing bathtub
- Library with hundreds of Gallimard books
- Record player with vinyl collection curated by JR
- Bespoke marquetry, photography and gifts curated by JR
- 24-hour dedicated cabin steward service
- All beverages, including any wine, champagne and premium spirits
- Complimentary luxury amenities including fine loungewear and toiletries
- Private in-suite dining
- Exclusive gifts specially curated by JR
- Seamless private transfers to and from the train and your accomodation, within a 300km radius
